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Thursday, September 2, 2010

Most weeks when I do these players to watch, I’m not going to pick the opponent’s best player.Some weeks I may have to, because I don’t know anything about the opponent (I’m looking at you, Tennessee Tech).Other weeks I may pick the player that I think should get ridiculed and harassed the most by our fans.That will obviously be for Texas Hammer to ruthlessly verbally assault during home games, if he can get past our band and to the sidelines alive.Therefore, I am not going to pick Jacquizz Rodgers.I’m not even going to pick his brother, James, because if you stack the two of them on top of each other it still only equals 1 man, and just like their recruitment, they come as a package. So here we go…

Player to Watch:Ryan Katz (Soph. QB, 6’1, 209)

Is that what a Dirty Sanchez looks like?

This was a pretty easy selection.A QB with 0 career starts under his belt, facing off against a defense that was #1 nationally in total defense from a year ago.Their offensive situation actually reminds me quite a bit of Clemson last year:a dynamic game-breaking running back, a speedy, dangerous receiver, and a new QB who’s role should be “game manager.”I realize we didn’t play Clemson in game 1 last year, but you get the point.Now honestly, I don’t know much about Katz.To be honest, I thought he might be a dorky-looking white guy.The image above is NOT what I had in mind for a guy named Ryan Katz.I guess you can say I unfairly portrayed Katz’s image because his more updated picture on the Oregon State athletic site doesn’t consist of a pencil-thin To Catch a Predator Moustache (this photo is from high school), but he really set himself up for the abuse by letting that thing grow on his face.That thing is uglier than the rape-stache Colt McCoy unveiled at the start of last season, and that’s saying a lot, because we REALLY hate Colt McCoy.God, Katz is ugly.

Ok, back to football…He played in 4 games last year, so there isn’t much to go by.However, ESPN’s Bruce Feldman says the only arm stronger in college football is Ryan Mallett’s, so that’s pretty high praise.Strong arms don’t always translate into quarterbacking success though.In fact, often times they cause QB’s, especially young, inexperienced ones to force throw and get picked off…a lot.Let’s hope that is the case Saturday.One thing that should definitely benefit us in terms of rattling Katz’s cage is that they are also breaking in a new left tackle, and if Sandra Bullock taught me anything, it’s that left tackle is the most important position in football (that, and not to have Nazi role play sex, but that’s for another day).I think Katz struggles, especially early, against an experienced defense on the road that will throw complicated schemes at him all day.He’s really going to need the help of the Rodgers brothers, but I do predict them tricking us on one screen pass for a big gain Saturday.

Stat Prediction- 18-40, 220, 1 TD, 2 INT.He will have to throw more than they want because they will be trailing…all game.I think Tejay picks him once, because he is a ball hawk and he will be doing that all season.I also think one of the corners gets a pick as well, because if he has as strong of an arm as they say, he will try to force throws and one of our corners will jump an out route.I’ll say McCoy.